I love when people reach out to me with health related questions and today’s email was no different.
Somebody had a question about internally rotated arms, winging and elevated shoulder blades …
This is something I as a Pilates instructor most often see in clients and it has a name. It’s called Upper Crossed Syndrome.
If you have a desk job, you most likely have Upper Crossed Syndrome.
It results in overuse/underuse of muscles that eventually manifest in back and neck pain.
Affected muscles by Upper Crossed Syndrome:
Tightness:
1. Upper Traps (neck, upper back)
2. Levator Scapula (neck, top of shoulders)
3. Pecs (chest)
Weakness:
1. Deep cervical flexors (front of neck)
2. Middle and Lower Traps (upper and mid back)
What does this all mean?
Basically, it means that when 4-5 muscles get too tight it can lead to a chain of events that can create shoulder instability, dysfunction, pain and injury. The shoulder and neck problems I see in clients, mostly come from overuse of the traps and neck!
So, what are the signs of Upper Crossed Syndrome?
1. Forward Head Posture (do you wear your head ahead of your body?)
2. Increased Cervical Lordosis and Thoracic Kyphosis (A hunched back)
3. Elevated and protracted shoulders (rounded forward shoulders)
4. Winging of the shoulder blades (if someone can slide their fingers under your shoulder blade, they’re winging)
One or more of these symptoms can mean that your shoulders are unstable and at risk for injury. You may already be feeling the effects in the form of nerve pain in the neck and arms, headaches, rotator cuff problems.
If you suffer from NECK and SHOULDER pain and you think Upper Crossed Syndrome may be the culprit of your pain, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Your condition is fixable and together we could easily make your pain go away!
Reply to this email and let me know how this email relates to you! I’ll explain how I can help you eliminate your pain, even if you live on the other side of the country or on another continent!